WASHINGTON, June 28 (UPI) — Where are the unvaccinated homeschooled children with autism? Nowhere to be found, says [Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, who treats autistic children at his medical practice in Palm Bay, Fla.] …and is knowledgeable about the homeschooled world.

[..] About 2 million children are being homeschooled in the United States. The number of those unvaccinated is unclear, but judging by the school opt-out rates in some parts of the country where there is more concern about vaccinations, it could be 3 percent or more.

[..] "That’s not yet science," [Bradstreet] said. "It doesn’t rise to the level of a powerful observation. It’s a place to say, OK, well that’s interesting, what does that tell us?"

Ann: To vaccinate or not is a complex decision that has little to do with homeschooling in my opinion. I have heard of at least two outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough) in unvaccinated homeschooling groups.

Of greater concern perhaps is that homeschoolers are already seen as "under-studied" by educationists and sociologists. I can’t help but worry that Bradstreet is inadvertently delivering homeschoolers as a population that is overripe for "study."

The idea of studying the lack of autism in the Amish population makes more sense to me.

WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) — A top U.S. health official is considering whether to launch studies of the Amish — and perhaps other unvaccinated groups — in response to United Press International’s articles about a low prevalence of autism in that community, according to several people who spoke with him last week.

Ann: I am fascinated by this report. SOMETHING is causing the increase of autism. And while I don’t think the homeschooling lifestyle is worth studying to prevent autism, Ido think the homeschooling lifestyle is a wonderful way to educate an autistic child. Well, any child really, but you know that.